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---Part Six--- "A what?" Lance
shook his head, not quite sure he'd heard Justin right. "A boyfriend. He's
over at her hotel right now." One of Lance's eyebrows
went up; he may not have known Abbey too well, but that didn't sound like
her. "You went to her hotel?" Justin shook his head.
"That's not the point. Why didn't she tell me? Did she tell you?" Oh, this is just what
I need tonight.
Lance glanced around, saw more people coming in -- including a few women from
the press, reporters he recognized whose fawning attitudes wouldn't be too
welcome at the moment. "Come on, let's talk about this outside." They headed out to the
patio; the evening was warm, but not too humid, for which Lance was grateful.
He watched Justin hop up to settle on the iron railing, his legs swinging
between the rails. "So tell me what happened," he prompted. "Well, I decided to
go over and ask her to come to the party. I thought maybe she just didn't
want to go, so I called Johnny to find out where she's staying, and I got
changed and went over." "Justin, she's
sick," Lance pointed out. "Yeah, I know."
Justin's sullen tone of voice suggested that he hadn't, perhaps, thoroughly
comprehended that fact, or was maybe ignoring it. "But, um, I thought
maybe she was feeling better, and if I asked her, she'd come. So I go up and
knock on her door, and this guy answers." Lance leaned on the
railing, watching Justin. His face betrayed a certain amount of jealousy, but
most of it seemed to be pent up, seething behind his eyes. "And you just
assumed that he was her boyfriend?" Justin shrugged.
"Well, yeah. I mean, no, not at first, but he was way defensive of her,
and she only had on her sleep clothes and a bathrobe..." "Which isn't exactly
abnormal if you're sick and haven't gotten out of bed all day," Lance
pointed out. "Okay, well. Anyway,
so, I kind of got mad and I took off," Justin finished, purposely
skipping over the things he'd said. In hindsight, they sounded a bit harsh,
tinged with the anger that he no longer felt; he was a bit ashamed of himself
now for saying them. Lance looked a bit
dubious, though he didn't question that summary. "And you assumed the
boyfriend thing because...?" "It was the way he
was all protective of her. Just, if you'd seen how close they were, you'd
know what I mean." "Mm." Lance
glanced over at the French doors; he'd thought he'd seen, and he had, Chris
gesturing at them to come in. This little shindig was in their honor, after
all; it wouldn't do for the two of them to stay out here much longer. "We
better get back inside. You gonna be okay?" "Yeah." Justin
hopped off of the railing and brushed off his pants. "Thanks for letting
me talk." "No problem. Just
don't think about it right now, and we can find out what's going on
later." With that, they headed
inside to deal with the publicity machine. --- Two days later, a much
improved Abbey reported in at the compound. She'd received her pictures back
from the developing company, and she was scheduled to deliver them to Greg;
although she knew she could have used a courier, she wanted to see his
reaction in person, and hopefully get the guys' opinions on them as well. Part of her was also
hoping to get the chance to explain things to Justin, even though she wasn't
exactly sure why she even wanted to bother. After all, it wasn't like her
living arrangements should matter to him, should it? And she was also fully
aware that he might refuse to hear her out. Still, something nagged at her;
it was important to clear the air. She found Greg in the
same conference room where they'd first met; he was working on something on a
laptop, but eagerly pushed it aside to look at the pictures. His reaction was
gratifyingly positive. Abbey had passed the point where she needed praise to
feel good about her work, but she was pleased to know that what she'd
accomplished was very much in the right direction. Once that task was
complete, she headed over to the dance studio to find the guys. MTV was
taping; she watched from the open door as they went over the beginning steps
for the title track from the new album. She knew that a lot of work was
involved, but she was surprised at the amazing repetitiousness of it.
Apparently, when she'd interrupted them before, they'd been working on some
of their older songs; this new stuff was taking longer to learn. Eventually a break was
called. The guys dragged themselves over to a couch and waiting bottles of
water as someone approached them with some paperwork. Abbey took the
opportunity to slip into the room, feeling a surprised little burst of
pleasure inside when the guys greeted her with cheerful cries. "Abbey! Abbey's
feeling better, Abbey's feeling better!" Chris got up and gave her a
hug. She giggled at him. "Key word being
better, Chris. Be gentle, unless you want me to puke all over you." "I can take
it," Chris proclaimed, but he let go, smiling. "Are you doing
okay?" Lance asked, looking up from the paperwork he was holding. She nodded to him.
"Pretty much. I don't think I'm contagious anymore, and I'm back on
solid food. Which I'm sure is too much information," she finished with a
smile. "No, it's good to
hear." Lance tossed a glance Justin's way, but the blond singer was
staring at the set designs he'd been handed, apparently ignoring everything
else. Following Lance's gaze,
Abbey let out a soft sigh. This wasn't going to be pleasant, but better to
deal with it now. Stepping over in front of Justin, she said, softly,
"Excuse me." He continued to stare at
the designs. Abbey closed her eyes as if praying under her breath, then knelt
down before him. "Justin, I don't particularly care if you're going to
be a stubborn asshole about this. If you don't want to listen to me, I don't
care, but you didn't stick around long enough the other day to let me tell
you the truth." Justin's long eyelashes
remained curved downward, continuing to hide his gaze from her. She was
tempted to yank the papers out of his hands, but with a great effort, she
restrained herself. "That guy in my hotel room was my brother." He blinked, finally looking
up at her. Abbey refused to feel smug, despite the obvious surprise in his
wide eyes. "Yeah. My brother. So when you're through making snap
judgments, let me know." Satisfied, she stood and
walked away, ignoring the muffled laughter coming from the group behind her.
Lance's seemed to be loudest, but she couldn't be sure. --- The ensuing weeks were
nothing short of hectic. Abbey ended up doing quite a bit of shooting -- not
just of the band (who were shuttling back and forth between Orlando and Los
Angeles for the Academy Awards, a Tonight Show appearance and a full
hour of the Donny & Marie Show), but of other groups Johnny
managed, both of Lance's artists, and some locals for a few extra freelance
gigs. She thrived on being busy; falling into bed exhausted after a full day
was more rewarding to her than the few lazy days where she had very little to
do. Fortunately, those days were indeed few and far between. Abbey's relations with
Justin remained cool, by his choice as well as hers. She was perfectly content
to keep it that way; he'd already incurred enough dangerous emotions in her,
and she didn't want to pursue anything more than a working relationship
anyway. That argument overrode her thoughts every time she caught herself
noticing how nice his smile was or how well he moved when dancing. With the
others, she entertained a more casual friendship, though even with them she
fought to keep a certain amount of distance. She knew that she wouldn't want
to miss them after the job was over; part of her already knew, though, that
she would. She had a couple more
trips to New York, as well, and was duly annoyed at her worries that she
wouldn't have seen her family before the tour started. Both times, she was
also treated to diatribes from Kelly, who wasn't pleased with the quality of
her work. At one point, a threat that she might be taken off the job nearly
had her in tears when she finally left the office. She nearly called it
quits right there and walked out. Only the thought that she had to get
through this, she didn't have any choice, pushed her back to Florida and the
refuge of her hotel room. The night before they
were scheduled to leave for Biloxi, the first tour date, she was packed and
ready to go. She was used to traveling light; packing everything she'd need
for three months was a new experience for her. By seven o'clock, she was set
-- I hope, she mentally amended, looking over the two large duffel
bags full to bursting with her clothes, shower items, hygienic necessities,
books and so forth. That wasn't even counting her cameras, which were packed
in their own separate padded cases. And I thought Mom packed heavy when
she travels. Abbey was nervous, and
she knew it. For once she was considering going out and getting something to
drink just to settle her nerves. She rarely drank, even when she'd gone out
with her friends; she'd gained the reputation of the designated driver in
college for her habit of having, at the most, two beers. There was a bar just up
the street; she could walk there, she thought, and call a cab if she had to.
Just as she'd made that decision, the phone rang. What the heck now? Her mother had already called to
wish her well on the tour, and she'd talked to Cat during that call too;
Carter had called yesterday, saying he'd try to be there to see her off,
although he might not be able to make it due to stuff going on with his
partner. Rolling off the bed, she picked up the receiver. "Hello?" "Abbey?" There
was a lot of background noise, both music and voices, suggesting a party of
some kind. She recognized the voice, though; it was Lance. "Hey, what's
up?" "Hey," he said.
"We're having a party over at my place, kind of a kickoff to the tour
thing. Everyone's here, Johnny and the crew and everyone, and we were
wondering if you wanted to come too." She heard in that some
echo of one of her first conversations with Justin, and had to smother a
laugh. "You aren't getting too toasted, I hope?" "Nah, we don't drink
a lot. Especially since it's gonna be an early morning. But we're dancing and
stuff, it's always fun. Come on over, Abbey." His voice was entreating.
Abbey found herself tempted. Then the thought of Justin intruded on her
thoughts again -- all scowl and downcast eyelids, the way she'd seen him when
she'd told him about her brother -- and she felt something sour inside. "No, thanks. But
thanks for asking, I do appreciate it." "Abbey, you really
should come." Lance's voice was more serious now, persuasive and smooth.
"It's like a tradition. You're part of the crew." "Only for this part
of the tour," she amended. "Thanks, Lance, but no thanks." He sounded disappointed
as he acknowledged her refusal. "All right. See you in the
morning." Abbey sighed once she was
off the phone. If I didn't feel like an old fart before, I sure as hell do
now. --- Lance hung up the phone,
shaking his head. "No go, man. Sorry, I tried." Beside him, Justin
slumped against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. "Man, I
really wanted to get things straightened out before the tour too." "Well, I'm sure there'll
be lots of opportunities when we get on the road," Lance suggested,
trying to sound hopeful. Justin's face was etched in a certain set with which
he was long familiar; his mouth determined, his eyes dark, the way he always
looked when he became stubbornly set on an idea. "I'm going to go
over there. I'll be back," Justin declared, in one swift motion standing
and making his way through the crowd of friends, family and crew occupying
Lance's house. It took Lance a moment to realize what Justin had said; then
he pushed after his friend, one part of his mind amazed at how crowded his
house was, making for the door. "Justin, I don't
think that's a good idea." "What, she's there
alone, right?" Justin kept walking; he pushed open the door and kept
going, Lance in pursuit. "Yeah, but --
Justin, I don't know if it's the best thing to do tonight. You're going to
come off seeming like you're just pushing the issue, do you think that's what
she wants to hear?" Justin paused, spinning
in place to look at Lance. Sighing, Lance continued. "Think about it,
man, what it'll look like to her if you go over there right now. You want to
be all in her face and pushy, even though you know she'll get mad if you
do?" "And if I
don't?" Lance was saved from
trying to think of an answer, fortunately; at that moment, Joey arrived from
the house, a worried look on his face. "Everything okay?" he asked.
"I saw you guys leave in a hurry." Justin ran a hand through
his hair and nodded. "Yeah, it's fine." Shaking his head, he turned
to look at Joey. "Hey, if you liked this girl but she kept her distance
all the time, what would you do?" "Find another
girl," Joey replied promptly. Lance laughed at that. "No, seriously,
man," Justin said. "I can't get her off of my mind." Joey shrugged, sticking
his hands into his pockets. "Well, if you're talking about who I know
you're talking about, then you gotta stop being so intense around her all the
time. Be her friend, don't try so hard. You know, try establishing a
friendship based on trust and communication." At that, both Justin and
Lance spluttered laughter. "What book did you read that out of?"
Justin hooted. Growling at them, Joey
turned around and headed back into the house. "Fine! See if I ever give
you any advice again." Still chuckling, Lance
glanced over at Justin. "He's right, you know." "Yeah, I know." --- Five o'clock came far too
early for Abbey the next morning. Half-stumbling into the shower, she didn't
fully wake up until cold water hit her square in the face. It didn't heat up,
either; after a couple of shivering minutes, she realized that the heat must
be out and got out of the shower, cursing loudly. She threw her clothes on
and called a cab, hauling her bags out to the sidewalk in front of her door.
All in all, she thought, it had worked out well; she'd returned the rental
car last night, cabbed back to the hotel to finish packing, and now all she
had to do was check out of the room. The tour's last dates -- at least for
this first leg -- were in New York, so she'd basically end up making a round
trip and coming home again without leaving anything behind in Orlando. Abbey was slightly amused
at the fact that she had to direct the taxi driver to the studios; she
realized that she'd been in Orlando long enough to learn at least her way to
Jive and back, as well as a few side routes. In the large parking lot at the
studios, she hauled her bags out of the cab's trunk, paid the driver, and
checked her watch. Ten minutes early. Rockin'. That gave her time to
locate her assigned vehicle -- one of the buses, which she'd be sharing with
other female crew and personnel -- and get her bags loaded. That task accomplished,
she took a moment to look around. Everyone seemed to be there; most of them
were running around in a kind of organized chaos, making sure all the
last-minute details were taken care of. Unable to resist, Abbey took out the
one small camera she always kept close to hand. The guys were in the process
of saying goodbye to their families, each moment tender and bittersweet. Discreetly, Abbey slipped
closer to the groups to capture a few candid shots. That worked until Chris
caught sight of her with the camera. Grinning, he turned his little sister to
the camera so that Abbey could photograph both of them. "Very cute,"
Abbey smiled after the shot was made, "but not quite the effect I had in
mind." "Oh, were you
looking for something like this?" Chris promptly began tickling the
little girl, who shrieked with squealing laughter. Abbey chuckled and took a
few more pictures, then turned to see who else she hadn't caught on film yet
today. "Abbey!" Carter's voice
interrupted her little task. Cheerfully, she waved at her brother, who was
just getting out of his car. As he made his way through the hectic parking
lot, she ran up to him to give him a hug. Then she frowned. "Where's Paul?"
she asked. Carter chuckled.
"Wouldn't come. He said it's bad enough my sister's touring with a
boyband." Abbey rolled her eyes.
"I was so looking forward to seeing him, too," she said, managing to
keep most of the sarcasm from her tone. He heard it anyway, and
sighed. "Abbey..." "Yeah, I know.
Sorry." She glanced over to the buses, seeing Randy, the head of the
security team, waving at her. "Looks like I have to go. Pray for
me?" "You know it."
He hugged her, then pulled away, looking at something over her shoulder.
Abbey twisted, still partially in the embrace, to see what had caught his
attention. Justin was heading
towards them. His hands were in the pockets of his baggy pants, and a
somewhat sheepish look graced his face as he stopped before them. "Hey," he said
by way of greeting. Abbey automatically tensed; Carter felt it, his hand
still on her back, and glanced at her with some concern. But Justin
continued. "I wanted to apologize for, um, yelling at you before. Both
of you. That was way presumptive of me, and I'm sorry." Carter was quicker to
recover from his surprise than Abbey. With a nod, he stuck out his hand;
Justin took it, shaking firmly. "No problem," the older man said,
smiling. "It was a misunderstanding." "Thanks."
Justin glanced at Abbey as he released Carter's hand; but just as she opened
her mouth to speak, a bellow sounded out behind him: "Timberlake!
Eldridge!" "Really have to
go," Abbey said, giving her brother another quick hug. "I'll call
you!" With that, she grabbed Justin's arm and they ran for the buses.
Carter shook his head and smiled, watching them go. |